The present invention comprises a new and distinct winterberry holly cultivar hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘NCIV2’. This new holly was developed at North Carolina State University, Mills River, N.C. ‘NCIV2’ was selected from a population of seedlings grown from an open-pollinated selection of Ilex verticillata (NCSU 1998-538, unpatented, parentage unknown). ‘NCIV2’ was selected based on its compact form and prolific, large, orange, showy fruit. DNA content of ‘NCIV2’ was determined using flow cytometry and found to be approximately twice that of I. verticillata ‘Winter Red’ (unpatented) indicating that ‘NCIV2’ is a natural tetraploid.
The first asexual propagation of ‘NCIV2’ was carried out in July 2008 by rooting stem cuttings at the North Carolina State University, Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station, Mills River, N.C. and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings over a 7 year period. ‘NCIV2’ roots readily from softwood cuttings treated with a basal dip of 2,500-5,000 ppm indole butyric acid (potassium salt) in water. ‘NCIV2’ has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.